Did you have a favorite MASH episode?

[CTyankee]

I don't think I ever saw a bad one. Alan Alda was one helluva good looking and funny actor. We were addicted to seeing this every week. And that theme song, which I believe was entitled "Suicide is Painless."

Oh, boy, I can still see the MASH docs running to the helicopter to get the wounded...

I liked that Hot Lips character got more serious and respect as the series went on. Loretta Swit was wonderful...

[applegrove]

1. I liked the ones with Sidney the Psychiatrist. Usually Hawkeye was

showing some sort of stress. I adored Hawkeye. What a great character he was. Though I was blown away by his constant mild sexual harassment when I watched early reruns a few years ago. I did not remember that it was such a part of the show. And it was not serious stalking.

[PennyK]

35. Yeah. About that actor who played Sidney the shrink.

He was Alan Arbus. He was married to Diane Arbus.

[applegrove]

39. I knew that. I even have a book about her. And it is funny I have no idea

who she is. I should read the book.

[nolabear]

64. As a shrink I've always though Sidney's parting saying perfect:

"Ladies and Gentlemen, take my advice. Pull down your pants and slide on the ice."

Words to live by. 😊

[applegrove]

65. Don't remember that. I just remember Hawkeye saying everything

at M*A*S*H was green, the clothes, the food, the tents, etc.... except for the blood. Alda played wounded very well as well as the clown. Such great humanity in that series. And it tried to not be racist. But had all manner of non Korean Asians playing Koreans. Great series. Of its time though. I would love if they redid it. Though finding a new Alda a would be near impossible.

[nolabear]

66. I'd hate to see it redone. But now I want to watch it all again.

[applegrove]

67. I bought the dvds. All 11 of them. I think i made it through 7 years before

I took a break.

[Chasstev365]

2. Yes; the one where Edward Herman guest stars

He plays this great surgeon, who has a mental breakdown when he is supposed to be in helping the doctors in the OR.

When they find him, he is in tears and says, "I wash and wash, but the blood just won't come off."

[Binkie The Clown]

3. Ask me, rather, if I had 2 or 3 dozen favorite episodes. n/t

[Eugene]

4. A Smattering of Intelligence

EDIT: I had to find the title. It introduces Col. Sam Flagg as a deranged Army Intelligence officer.

"Captain Tuttle" was also very funny.

[dhol82]

5. Every one of them!

Still cry when watching some of the reruns.

[Different Drummer]

6. The one where Hawkeye is injured and has to keep talking in order to stay awake.

He ends up with a Korean family who doesn't understand any of the English he's speaking, except the name of the location of the 4077th.

BTW, MeTV has been running some of the best M*A*S*H episodes all week and will continue with this for a couple more days.

[zeusdogmom]

56. Saw that episode a bit earlier this week.

MASH reruns never seem to get old. Remember watching the originals - while living on a military base. Nearly every TV on the street was tuned in to the program. Most everyone was drafted, low ranking personnel.

[no_hypocrisy]

7. The sad ones.

When Henry died.

When Hawkeye has a nervous breakdown.

The last episode.

[TexasBushwhacker]

9. Hawkeye's nervous breakdown

The one where he's talking about the woman on the bus holding the "chicken"? That's one of my favorites too.

[no_hypocrisy]

12. Exactly.

And I still weep with Hawkeye. Every time.

[Laffy Kat]

80. That was mine, too.

So well done.

[Sedona]

8. When Hawkeye and Hot Lips slept together

In the middle of a battlefield

[TexasBushwhacker]

10. I liked the one that was from the wounded soldier's point of view n/t

[Va Lefty]

11. "Five O'Clock Charlie"

[Docreed2003]

13. "Sometimes you hear the bullet"

Col Blake:

There are certain rules about a war. And rule number one is young men die. And rule number two is, doctors can't change rule number one.

It was my dad's favorite episode as well. One of the first in the series to really bring home the harshness of war. Never thought as a kid that I'd be saying those words one day to one of my own corpsmen...or myself.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

14. Episodes with Colonel Flagg

https://m.

[lastlib]

17. He "had nothing to do with intelligence!"

. . OMG, that was funny!! The perfect uber-patriot with no brain.

[Skittles]

61. Col Flagg: "You took a red commie before a white American and that is pretty pinko"

Hawkeye: "You're boring even in technicolor"

[Dave Starsky]

43. Those are my faves, as well.

What a great, crazy character.

Hell, all M*A*S*H episodes are great. It's one of the few shows that if I'm doing something and it just happens to be on, I'll just drop whatever I'm doing and watch it.

[ms liberty]

15. The General Flipped at Dawn

Crazy General visits the 4077 and ends up trying to court martial Hawkeye and Trapper John. The crazy general was played by Harry Morgan, who of course later returned as Colonel Potter. Not my only favorite episode of that show, but it is up there. I never missed it during it's original run, and we still watch it pretty regularly. I'm partial to the earlier years; it is still some of the best tv there is.

[Cracklin Charlie]

19. Saw that one tonight.

Very funny.

[jberryhill]

16. The series lasted longer than the Korean War

Like a lot of television series, it went way past its sell-by date, IMHO. The canned laughter in those things is annoying, and most of the male characters are lecherous alcoholics.

I loved it at the time, but in retrospect I find it cringeworthy.

[Marie Marie]

18. Any episode with Colonel Flagg.

[furtheradu]

20. A few VERY favorites

#1: Hawkeye injured, staying with Korean family..he sang, danced, showed a range of his talents.
#2: Hawkeye ordering BBQ from Chicago
#3: Hawkeye finds his dad has kept medical problem from him.
#4: Hawkeye's dad has mistakenly been told his son Hawkeye died, son can't reach him to tell him he is alive & well.
#5: a soldier has died, but he doesn't realize it, can't understand why he can hear & see everyone else, no one can see or hear him.
#6: a wounded soldier believes he is Jesus.
#7: the docs find an orphaned Korean baby.
#8: Radar adopts another soldier's Korean girlfriend & baby.
#9: Hawkeye's girlfriend from med school (Carly) arrives, & she breaks his heart a 2nd time.
#10: ALL episodes with Col. Flagg.
Love Radar, & the Chaplain.

I gotta few favorite episodes
M.A.S.H. actually helped me cope with my Son's deployment to Iraq.
Still watch, when I can, still laugh out loud, still cry.
Alan Alda directed a bunch of episodes, wrote 13, I think. I love that guy.
What a program, & still relevant. Also highly recommend the original movie.
Thx for the thread!

[ProfessorGAC]

50. I Notice Most Of Your Picks Are From Later Years

And i really like your #'s 5 & 9 too. That's a REALLY interesting episode, and only Klinger, who has fever delusion, can see or hear him.

You're ninth pick, IIRC, was Blythe Danner in the girlfriend role.

I tend to like the Morgan era as i was not and never was a Stephenson fan. And, i thought Rodgers was walking through all but the first season.

Hunniecut is a more likable and sympathetic character and i thought Winchester was a good foil because the "Frank Burns is a buffoon" train had ran out of fuel.

[Dr. Strange]

74. YOU FORGOT TO ORDER COLE SLAW!!!!!

[Dr Hobbitstein]

21. The Ring Banger and Abyssinia, Henry. nt

[Iggo]

22. Not sure which episode, but Flagg had a line pretty close to this:

"I'm actually CIA. I just tell 'em I'm CID so they'll think I'm CIC."

Something like that. I laughed sooooooo hard!

[cwydro]

32. That was hilarious.

Loved that show!

I still watch it.

[zanana1]

23. Captain Tuttle

The imaginary Captain Tuttle was one of my favorite characters.

[Orrex]

24. "Dreams," probably.

Don't know if I saw it when it first aired (I was nine), but I was already a big M*A*S*H fan fan around that time.

It's the episode in which each of the principal cast members has a disturbing dream in response to stress and overwork. I didn't really appreciate it when I was younger, but it still haunts me. Something about the absurd horror of Hawkeye having his arms pulled off... Yikes.

I also really like all of the episodes with Mako, particularly The Best of Enemies and Rainbow Bridge.

I liked that Hot Lips character got more serious and respect as the series went on. Loretta Swit was wonderful...

I agree completely. Swit was always terrific in the role, but the character herself became so much richer as the series went on. In recent years I've been particularly struck by Houlihan's relationship with Potter.

I wish Netflix would bring M*A*S*H back. I can watch it again and again.

[cwydro]

33. It's on TVLand regularly.

Great show.

[Miles Archer]

26. I've seen every episode multiple times, and my #1 favorite is...

...Season 6 Episode 7, "In Love and War."

Despite Colonel Potter's warning, Hawkeye falls in love with a Korean villager. Meanwhile, Margaret learns that her husband Donald may have made a pass at a new nurse assigned to the 4077th.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0638337/

Hawkeye falls in love with Kyong Soon, a Korean woman who is caring for her sick mother and orphaned children. But all hope is lost as Kyong takes her possessions and the children to the south after her mother has died. Meanwhile, a new nurse that arrived from Tokyo talks about a man she was involved with, and Margaret finds out it was her husband.

http://www.tv.com/shows/mash/in-love-and-war-43329/

[dr.strangelove]

27. Too many to list, but "Abyssinia, Henry" and "Old Soldiers" always make me tear up

The death of Henry was perfectly done. It was brilliant and I get chocked up every time I see Radar come into the room.

Old Soldiers was a great Col. Potter episode in which he learns his last friend from the first world war had passed. It shows how life moves through friendships, but life goes on. Great work by all.

I also likes "Point of View" where the episode was shot from the view of a patient from wound to discharge. It was great TV work. This series did a lot to move the medium into the level of respect it has now.

[lapfog_1]

77. trivia

the only actor who was told ahead of filming that the Henry Blake character was being killed off was Alan Alda.

Radar didn't know what was going to be on the message he had to read to the OR.

[dr.strangelove]

78. Not really

They were all told ahead of filming the scene. The true story has been somewhat Hollywoodized to make it sound cool, but is not truly what happened.

There are youtubes spots of Larry Gelbart, Loretta Swift and Jamie Farr talking about what really happened. In short, that episode had 2 OR scenes, the first when Henry was told he was being discharged and the last, when Radar tells everyone Henry died. They did withhold the last scene from everyone until the last day of shooting. They shot the OR scenes last. They did withhold the last scene from scripts to keep it quiet, but as you say, Alan Alda and Larry Gelbart have confirmed Alda knew. McLean Stevenson has said he knew as well, but I have never seen this confirmed.

Anyway, after they finished the scene when Henry was told he had enough points to go home, everyone thought they were wrapped. The cast was told to hang around for a minute for a quick meeting. Then they gave the actors the scene. The actors all talked about it with the director and the writers. Comments on this meeting have described it as being shock, sadness and even some objection. No one has told what anyone specifically said except Gary said he told McLean Stevenson he would probably win an Emmy for the episode (he did not). They then went out to shoot the scene. Unfortunately, there was a technical error and they had to do a second take. The second take is the one that is in the series. They shot a third take, because during the second take someone accidentally dropped a surgical instrument and you can hear the clang. But they thought that it worked well and used the second take in the episode.

Still an amazing story, but not as cool as the urban legend that they were not told until it was put on film. Gary practiced the message a few times ahead of time. The cast all knew, and the shot we have all scene was the second take. It was amazing work by all involved either way and the legend does not take away from their incredible work in my opinion.

[WePurrsevere]

28. I love MASH, especially after BJ joined...

Although I've watched recovery episode a few times, I can't think of a favorite off hand ATM. Unfortunately it's been years since I've been able to watch the series (no cable/satellite trying to recover from a financial blow) although we're looking at online TV services so hope to soon.

I remember hearing the words to the theme song, Suicide Is Painless, for the first time in the movie once it hit TV. I hadn't seen the movie before the series and didn't realize that there were lyrics to it.

[Dave Starsky]

44. The lyrics were written by Robert Altman's 14-y.o. son.

He wrote them in five minutes after his dad told him to write "the stupidest song ever written".

[WePurrsevere]

47. IMO the 14 yo was very talented to write that and...

if his dad told him to write, "the stupidest song ever written" he failed. I can think of at least a few that are much more 'stupid'.

[Dave Starsky]

48. Apparently, he asked his son to do it...

Because try as he might, he couldn't come up with lyrics that met his high standards of stupidity. They always came off as merely sophomoric.

I think his son, whether he meant to or not, really nailed it. In a good way, I mean.

Altman was paid $70,000 to direct M*A*S*H. He said his son has made a least a million in royalties for the lyrics, which the TV series never even played.

[hlthe2b]

29. Love Love the show... Own the entire series on DVD, but still watch any channel showing it

Especially lately, it has become my respite for all the horror going on in the world.

So sad that we've lost so many characters... I think when William Christopher (Father Mulcahy) died, it especially got me. For a real life old time liberal Methodist, he played one heck of a great, compassionate, and humble Catholic Priest. Though I, of course can single out lots of the cast for my deep affection, he holds a soft spot. I think the episode where he's trying to impress the visiting religious dignitary (Cardinal?) but becomes tremendously humbled when he realizes that while he was fretting over drunken soldiers embarrassing him in front of the VIP Cardinal, Hawkeye was dealing with telling a young soldier he had leukemia (the late Patrick Swayze, ). Upon observing the soldier wanted only to stay around longer to support his injured comrade and refusing to go on to Tokyo to receive immediate care himself, Father Mulcahy was deeply moved and his relating of the story instead of a prepared "service" (and while still in his bathrobe)was really touching. I think he should have at least been nominated for an Emmy for that one.

Love love that show and could go on for days about the many FAVORITE episodes, but I just don't feel like the "Father" got his due.

I just hope Alan Alda, Mike Farrell, Loretta Swit, Jamie Farr, Gary Burghoff, David Ogden Stiles, and any other still living greats know how much they are still loved for their work and are with us for many more years.

[MosheFeingold]

30. The one where they mocked MacArthur

My brother served under him in the Philippines and was left behind to die while MacArthur trotted off to safety.

The irony of a Jewish guy escaping the Nazis only to end up in a Japanese concentration camp is a long-running gallows humor of our family. (He lived through it, BTW. But my brother was haunted by it his entire life, was never quite well, and died far too young.)

MacArthur was a putz.

[lame54]

31. 2 episodes - first season poker game...

I think 3rd season - the search for an incubator

Also hawkeyes boots

[PearliePoo2]

34. My favorite TV show EVER.

One episode I really like was when a helicopter pilot reported an injured horse in a canyon and wanted a rifle to put it out of its misery. Radar, of course, wasn't going to allow that to happen. He talked Hawkeye and BJ into caring for the horse and removing shrapnel. After the horse recovered he brought it into Col. Potter's office as his (Potters's) wedding anniversary gift.

Radar: "I have a present for you too sir."
Potter: "Well this is turning into a real party."
(Radar leads the horse into Col. Potter's office)
Potter in shock "Oh, My."
Radar: (Explains as though Potter needed any) "Its a horse sir."
Potter: (Blows nose from the tears) "Its a beautiful horse." Walks around the horse "I don't think he could be over four years old."
Radar hands over the lead rope: "Here are the keys Sir."

The sex of the horse changed for its next appearance and became a 'girl' horse...Sophie.

[MountainMama]

38. Harry Morgan was fantastic...

I loved Henry Blake, but Colonel Potter made the show richer.

[blaze]

58. And the horse pooped in Potter's office... Potter stepped in it

Radar (I think) apologized and Potter said, "That's like a tiptoe thru the tulips for me!"

[Leith]

36. The Two Parter

Where Hawkeye comes back from R&R to find that Trapper has been sent home. Hawkeye and Radar rush to say goodbye at the Seoul airport, but misses him. Instead the trip turns into one to pick up BJ.

Spoiler ahead (if you are reading this thread and haven't watched M*A*S*H - why?!)

****

The trip back was BJ's horrific introduction to the Korean War. They pass Radar off as an officer so they can all have a drink in the officers club. They come upon a Korean family where the daughters are making sure a field is safe enough for the cow to graze in and Radar runs in to rescue one of them when a mine explodes. A troop of soldiers they meet are ambushed. When BJ goes to help one of them lying on the ground, only to discover that the front of the soldier's body was gone and it makes him crawl off and vomit.

When they finally got back to the 4077th, filthy, tired, and drunk, BJ calls Frank Burns "ferret face" and falls over laughing.

****

[MountainMama]

37. My favorite show of all time...

I had such a crush on Alan Alda.

I particularly loved the ones where Frank got his. "Frank Burns eats worms."

My all time favorite:

"Don't you realize, man? You've struck cole slaw." (I think that's what Hawkeye says.) Just thinking about it makes me laugh.

[alphafemale]

40. So many. heartbreak and hilarity.

That one where they tried to keep the soldier alive who they knew was hopeless for a few hours so his family wouldn't have to always remember he died on Christmas Day.

The mess hall riot....
"We want something else! We want something else!"

[jmowreader]

75. The mess hall riot that Hawkeye started

Another good chow-related one...A War for All Seasons. This one spanned a full year in one episode...at the beginning of the show Father Mulcahy plants corn for a special treat for the troops...and Igor creamed it.

[Paladin]

41. No, not really.

Sorry to come off as some sort of grumpy old man, but I don't think the TV series was anywhere near as good as Robert Altman's classic movie. War is bad, young people get killed and wounded, military doctors stich up the wounded so they can be sent out to get wounded again or killed. We get it, already; no need to beat us over the head with it every week.

[Dave Starsky]

45. I thought the opposite.

I think the show surpasses the movie, which I didn't think was that great.

For one thing, the TV show didn't have a bunch of guys with '60s haircuts and mustaches dressed up as Korean War doctors.

[Skittles]

42. any one that featured Colonel Flagg

on a more serious note, the one with Edward Herrmann as a surgeon who breaks down from the stress of war

[Number9Dream]

46. So many good ones... "Whiplash Wang"...

Col. Flagg - "The wind broke his arm..."

The one in which Col. Potter loans his horse, Sophie, to an elderly Korean man.

Gen. MacArthur salutes Klinger, who is dressed as the Statue of Liberty.

[eShirl]

49. the one where the movie projector doesn't work so they have a talent show

[underpants]

51. "The Bomb"

"And every year he comes over and shots out my porch light. "

"PUNT!!"

[unblock]

52. morale victory -- featuring james stephens (played james t. hart from the series "the paper chase")

winchester performs saves a private's leg by performing a difficult, state-of-the-art surgery, grafting tissue from the private's hand to save the leg.

charles is ever so proud of himself until he learns that the private is a concert pianist who values his hands far more than his leg. charles is beside himself as he realizes he did damage to the world of music, the one thing that sustains him.

[Grammy23]

53. No real favorite comes to mind. It was the one show that would make you laugh, cry and THINK

all in the same episode. I still remember the shock I felt when Henry Blake died. It was a kick in the gut...probably because after inviting the show into our homes week after week, we felt like we knew the characters as trusted friends. To have the death of a key character in such a shocking way very clearly demonstrated the shock one feels in real life when you lose a close friend.

[Borchkins]

54. Carry on. . .carry a gun!

Hawkeye says:

I'll carry on, carry over, carry forward, Cary Grant, cash and carry, carry me back to Old Virginia, I'll even 'hari-kari' if you show me how, but I will not carry a gun!

[LWolf]

55. No, I loved them all.

I do have a favorite scene from the movie:

[edbermac]

57. I liked the offbeat ones.

One where we saw the characters dreams, another from the POV of a wounded soldier, and one where a soldier died and a feverish Klinger could see him.

[SQUEE]

59. Charles and the Chinese musicians.

I cry everytime I here the Clarinet Quintet...

[CTyankee]

62. YES!

It is so touching. Gotta love Charles for that...

[BarbaRosa]

60. hard to say a favorite one,

I do like 'Hey, Look Me Over', where Nurse Kellye Yamato gets her day in the sun.

[CTyankee]

63. That was nice...

[True Dough]

68. I especially enjoyed the ones that focused on pranks

There was one in particular where Honeycutt was supposedly playing pranks on everybody and Hawkeye became paranoid, trying to avoid being the victim. Turns out the other pranks were all phony and Hawkeye was "gotten" the whole time.

[True Dough]

69. P.S. Just saw this on Facebook and had to share it here

[oasis]

71. Good one!

[mucifer]

70. By far for me it was the episode when Henry died.

I must say it seems like through the years there were a gazillion episodes about bad weather or missing something from home and trying to get it. Plus, there were so many episodes where Hawkeye was absolutely perfect that it was to me very annoying.

But, the episode where Henry died really gets to me. Several other ones were great. But, that one I think largely because I remember vaguely seeing it for the first time when it originally aired and comedy shows didn't kill off main characters like that back then.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

72. MASH trivia from the original movie and the series

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066026/trivia?ref_=tt_trv_trv

The 14-year-old son of Robert Altman, Mike Altman, wrote the lyrics to the theme song "Suicide is Painless". Because of its inclusion in the subsequent TV series, he continued to get residuals throughout its run and syndication. His father was paid $75,000 for directing but his son eventually made about $2,000,000 in song royalties.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068098/trivia?ref_=tt_trv_trv

Radar's teddy bear, once housed at the Smithsonian, was sold at auction July 29, 2005, for $11,800. (It was originally found on the Fox Ranch, where the series was filmed, and became part of the show.)

[jmowreader]

73. If I had to pick one..."Life Time"

This is the one with the clock in the corner of the screen...they brought a patient in who needed an aorta transplant in 20 minutes or he'd never walk again, and the only place they could get it was from another patient who hadn't died yet.

[Glamrock]

76. I crack up just thinking

about the look on Henry's face as his antique oak desk takes to the air...

[CTyankee]

79. I don't recall that one...off to Youtube to find it...